What's happening
This bill requires New York to add communication support services as a vocational rehabilitation service for individuals with language impairments or communication needs.
Why it matters
Expands Access for Job Seekers with Communication Challenges. By specifically including individuals with pragmatic language impairments and those whose employment could benefit from improved communication, this bill addresses a population that often faces significant barriers to getting and keeping a job.
Promotes Use of Qualified Professionals. The bill requires that only licensed, certified, or otherwise state-qualified professionals provide these communication support services, aiming to ensure high-quality and effective interventions.
Focuses on Practical Workplace Communication Skills. The mandated services target real-world skills such as initiating conversations, maintaining topics, handling workplace conflict, and preparing for written or electronic communication—directly supporting individuals' ability to thrive in employment settings.
Clarifies Legal Boundaries Without Expanding Professional Scope. The bill explicitly states it does not change or expand any existing professional scope of practice, which may ease concerns from professional licensing boards and help avoid regulatory conflicts.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Add Communication Help to Rehab
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
150
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to vocational rehabilitation services for enhancing communication support
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 1004-c to read as follows:
§ 1004-c. Communication support services. 1. The commissioner is hereby directed to promulgate rules and regulations to include communication support services as a vocational rehabilitation service as defined by paragraph a of subdivision five of section one thousand two of this article. Any individual who shall have been diagnosed with a pragmatic language impairment or whose employment prospects may reasonably benefit from an improved capacity to communicate shall qualify for communication support services. All referrals made pursuant to this section shall be made to individuals licensed, certified, registered or otherwise qualified under existing state laws, rules and regulations. Nothing herein shall be construed to alter or define scope of practice under existing state laws, rules and regulations.
2. For the purposes of this section, "communication support services" shall mean treatment or services that focus on communication-related skills including, but not limited to, dialogue strategies for:
(i) initiating and exiting communication of intent;
(ii) topic maintenance;
(iii) defusing hostile situations that result from ineffective attempts at independent communication;
(iv) preparing, strategizing, and organizing information for written or electronic correspondence; and
(v) preparing for upcoming interpersonal communication situations.
§ 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05281-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to vocational rehabili- tation services for enhancing communication support
Purpose or general idea of bill
To offer consumers of vocational rehabilitation services in the State of New York access to communication support services in order to improve their ability to secure gainful and meaningful employment outcomes.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: The education law is amended by adding a new section 1004-c, Communication support services. This new section directs the commission- er of education to promulgate new regulations to include communication support services as a vocational rehabilitation service, defines indi- viduals eligible for such support and how services should be rendered, and defines 'communication support services' for the purposes of this legislation.
Section 2: Effective Date
Justification
In New York State, unemployment rates are substantially higher for people with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation services are instru- mental by providing employment and rehabilitation services to those seeking gainful and meaningful employment. The inclusion of communi- cation support services in the suite of vocational rehabilitation services offered through programs like ACCES VR could improve employment outcomes for some job-seekers, particularly those with autism.
Many individuals with disabilities, including those on the autism spec- trum, may have difficulty with interpersonal communication that can hinder their ability to find and maintain employment, even when they possess job skills, higher education, and access to existing vocational rehabilitation services.
This bill addresses these shortcomings by directing the commissioner of the New York State Education Department to promulgate new regulations to rehabilitation services program staff to include communication support among the suite of services currently offered to job seekers.
In the context of this bill, communication support is defined as treat- ment and services that focus on improving communication-related skills. These include, but are not limited to, dialog strategies for initiating and exiting communication of intent, topic maintenance, dissolving hostile situations resulting from ineffective attempts at independent communication, preparing, strategizing and organizing information for written communication, and preparing for upcoming interpersonal communi- cation situations.
Finally, this legislation requires that these services be provided by qualified providers.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S393/A5042 - Education/Education 2015-16: S4256E/A514113 - Education/education
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect January 1, 2021.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.